T-Mobile Customers Hacked in Experian Breach: What You Need to Know

T-Mobile Customers Hacked in Experian Breach: What You Need to Know (ABC News)

A massive data breach at Experian, one of the country's major credit rating bureaus that companies use to conduct credit checks, has exposed the personal information of as many as 15 million T-Mobile consumers, according to the mobile carrier.

"Obviously I am incredibly angry about this data breach and we will institute a thorough review of our relationship with Experian, but right now my top concern and first focus is assisting any and all consumers affected. I take our customer and prospective customer privacy VERY seriously," T-Mobile CEO John Legere said in a statement. "This is no small issue for us. I do want to assure our customers that neither T-Mobile’s systems nor network were part of this intrusion and this did not involve any payment card numbers or bank account information."

While Experian handles the personal information of many Americans, the bureau said the hack, which was discovered on Sept. 15, is only limited to people who applied for T-Mobile services. Here's what you need to know.

Who Is Affected

Experian said the incident is "isolated" and is only limited to consumers who applied for T-Mobile USA services between Sept. 1, 2013, and Sept. 16, 2015.

What's Been Exposed

The information exposed to hackers includes names, addresses, social security numbers, date of birth, and various identification numbers, including a passport, driver's license or military identification number, according to Experian.

How to Know If You're at Risk

Experian said "there is no evidence that the data has been used inappropriately," however the bureau is notifying individuals who may have been affected and is offering a two-year membership for free credit monitoring and identity resolution services.

Anyone concerned they were impacted by the breach can sign up for the services at ProtectMyID.com.